Gschnitz - Habicht (običajna pot mimo Innsbrucker Hütte (Gschnitz))

Access to starting point:
From Ljubljana, we drive on the highway past Salzburg in the direction towards München. At the multilevel junction Dreieck Inntal we go on the road A93 in the direction of Innsbruck/Kufstein/Brenner. When we return to Austria we continue to the junction with the exit Innsbruck-Mitte. Here we don't turn towards Innsbruck, but we continue on the highway A13 in the direction towards the mountain pass Brenner. We continue on the highway all the way to the settlement Matrei am Brenner, where we go to the exit 19-Matrei. We continue driving on the road B182 to the settlement Steinach am Brenner, where at the roundabout in the middle of the town we go on the first exit and in a gentle ascent, we continue driving past Trins through scenic valley Gschnitztal to eponymous elongated village, where we will soon behind the church notice a relatively small free parking lot, intended for visitors of Innsbrucker Hütte.

Alternatively we can drive through northern Italy: in this case from the main Slovenia on the highway A2 we drive to one of the border crossings with Austria and we continue towards Lienz. Here we continue on the road 100 and past the passage Prato alla Drava we drive into Italy. In Italy we follow the road SS49 all the way to the juncture with highway A22 in the direction towards the mountain pass Brenner. After the mountain pass, we continue in the direction towards Innsbruck, but only to the exit on the road B182 near the Brennersee. On this road we continue to Steinach am Brenner, thence following the instructions described above.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we go on a clearly visible and marked, at first fenced path in the direction of Innsbrucker Hütte, which soon starts moderately ascending by the edge of cultivated land. Above the village, a narrower path continues through a thinner forest, which occasionally offers nice views towards scenic valley Gschnitztal. For some time we are moderately ascending on the path which is carved into steep slopes of the mountain range of Habicht group. A little higher with increasingly beautiful views on the south part of Stubai Alps, where there are especially exposed Pflerscher and Gschitzer Tribulaun, we pass on open terrain of high mountain grasslands. In parts a little precipitous path high above the valley, below the mountain walls of peaks Habicht group slowly crosses towards the west. In doing so we cross few gullies, where some caution is needed. In the last part of the path towards the mountain hut, the footpath again a little steeper ascends to the grassy edge, after which we step into high mountain terrain between the mountain walls of Habicht and Kalkwand, where we the first time notice Innsbrucker Hütte. Below the western edge of walls of Kalkwand massif, with the help of some fixed safety gear we descend a little to the diagonal path between the mentioned massifs, where gradually join the paths from inn Feuerstein and from the valley Stubaital. From here we have to the mountain hut only few ten strides.
From Gschnitz to Innsbrucker Hütte there is around 2h 30min - 3h. The path isn't very demanding, but it is quite steep and in parts a little precipitous, and in the winter it is very exposed to avalanches. The approach from the inn Feurstein is slightly shorter and easier, but a little less panoramic.

Behind the mountain hut, we continue on a winding footpath through the high mountain meadow, which soon passes into relatively gentle rocks of side broad ridge of Habicht. On a well-marked path on flat rocks we ascend to a large cairn, from where we can clearly see the further path on a wide broad ridge of Habicht, and the view opens up also on a nice high mountain lake Alfaier below us. We descend a little to the main massif of Habicht and we moderately ascend to fixed safety gear, which help us at the crossing of sharp rocks of the western flank of the mountain (demanding). After approx. 10 minutes of walking on a secured path, we find ourselves above the edge of a small high mountain valley, into which steep gullys are falling. After a shorter less steep ascent with the help of steel cables we ascend on flat rocks to a short of side ridge of Habicht, past which with nice views towards the mountain hut, northern and eastern part of Stubai Alps and Zillertal Alps we get towards the upper building of Habicht massif.

Further, we follow the path on a rugged rocky rib of Habicht, where we occasionally have to help ourselves also with hands. A moderately steep ascent after a little less than half an hour, brings us to a large platform below the summit, where we step on the last remnants of Habichtovega glacier. Here, even in the high summer we can't avoid the snow, but the passage through the snow field is relatively easy; because the path is well visited, in the summer season there will always be a clear path, and the winter equipment usually isn't needed.
Above the glacier we follow the path on high mountain rocky terrain, which in a gentle ascent crosses towards the west towards the clearly visible cross on the top. A little below the summit, we get to occasionally unpleasant loose steel cables, which will help us in the final part of the path. With their help, we at first cross exposed terrain above the precipitous steepness below the summit, and then we steeply ascend towards the large cross on the ample summit, which rewards us with a great view.

Due to a relatively less demanding path, mightiness and a great view Habicht is among most popular Tyrol three-thousanders. The ascent on normal path past Innsbrucker Hütte belongs on the bottom edge of a very demanding path (technically it could even be "just" demanding), even though it is located in still glacially intense Stubai Alps, it usually doesn't demand any additional equipment, and at the same time Innsbrucker Hütte offers an option for accommodations somewhere on the halfway way to the top. In spite of that, the ascent is not to be underestimated: no matter from where we ascend on Habicht, there will be more than two thousand altitude meters, and the paths are in parts precipitous. Even though the tour feasible in one day, I recommend a two-day trip with possible visit of the lake Alfaier and learning ferrata near the mountain hut or the ascent on the nearby Kalkwand or Ilmspitze.

On the way: Innsbrucker Hütte (2369m)